Boxing history will be made when Cassius Baloyi and Manuel Medina meet for the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior lightweight title at Emperors Palace on July 5.
The fight, which will also serve as a final eliminator for the IBF title, will set an unprecedented record in boxing as the two have been involved in a combined 44 world-title bouts.
Baloyi has participated in 22 world-title bouts, although only two of them can be considered legitimate. Others such as the WBU and IBO title fights are considered as fringe world titles although they are still classified as world titles in record books.
Medina, a veteran of 82 bouts, has also participated in 22 world-title bouts in his professional career, which spans 21 years. The Mexican veteran is now a 36-year-old legend and is three years Baloyi’s senior.
Medina has participated in all four major world titles — the IBF, WBO, WBC and WBA.
He even briefly held the lightly regarded IBC title when he beat Tyrone Jackson in 1990 when he was only 19 years old.
Medina’s opponents include the best featherweight and junior lightweight fighters in the world, such as Naseem Hamed, Tom Johnson, Fabrice Benichou, John John Molina, Luisito Espinosa, Paul Ingle, Frankie Toledo, Hector Lizarraga and Johnny Tapia.
Ingle, Toledo, Lizarraga, Molina, Johnson, Hamed and Benichou all have a South African connection as they also fought Baloyi’s compatriots.
Ingle was knocked out in 12 rounds by Baloyi countryman Mbulelo Botile for the IBF featherweight crown in a tragic fight that ended his boxing career. Botile lost the title to Toledo before losing to Baloyi. Toledo also lost to Baloyi.
Benichou surrendered the IBF junior featherweight title to another one of Baloyi’s countryman, Welcome Ncita, before Ncita was knocked out by Lizarraga, who himself was blown away in one round by Baloyi a couple of years later.
Molina knocked out Jackie Gunguluza for the WBA junior lightweight title, which had been relinquished by South African Brian Mitchell.
Hamed knocked out South African record-holder Vuyani Bungu for the WBO featherweight title, while Johnson lost to another South African, Lehlohonolo Ledwaba, for the IBF junior featherweight title. Ledwaba was to lose to Baloyi twice in an IBO title challenge a few years later.
Golden Gloves Promotion (GGP), which will stage the fight, expressed delight for being part of a history making boxing match.
”This is just another cap in the feather of GGP and the fact that these two fighters will be facing each other for the second time adds another intrigue in the match-up,” said GGP publicist Terry Pettifer. — Sapa